Wisconsin football would like to play LSU at Lambeau Field in Green Bay

Apr. 30, 2013

University of Wisconsin mascot Bucky and the Badgers hockey team sing the national anthem before taking on Ohio State at Lambeau Field on Feb. 11, 2006. The possibility of a neutral-site game between Wisconsin and Louisiana State football programs remains up in the air, along with any role the Green Bay Packers and Lambeau Field could play in it. / Press-Gazette Media file photo

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Gannett Wisconsin Media

The possibility of a neutral-site game between the University of Wisconsin and Louisiana State football programs remains up in the air, along with any role the Green Bay Packers and Lambeau Field could play in it.

According to reports from the New Orleans Times-Picayune and Wisconsin State Journal, the Badgers and Tigers have been exploring the possibility of scheduling a nonconference matchup during the 2015 season, and UW reportedly is interested in playing the game at Lambeau.

Those conversations remain contingent on whether the Southeastern Conference goes to a nine-game conference schedule, which would leave the Tigers with only three nonconference slots available and likely negating the chances of a matchup.

Over the weekend, LSU athletic director Joe Alleva told the Times-Picayune he’s not interested in playing at Lambeau, focusing the school’s interest toward a game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, or Reliant Stadium in Houston.

Meanwhile, the Packers and Lambeau Field remain open to discussions about hosting the Badgers or any other NCAA football games.

The topic was broached a few years ago when Packers President Mark Murphy contacted the Big Ten about hosting its championship game.

Ultimately, the conference decided on Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, but there still is interest in a college football game at Lambeau.

“Eventually, obviously, they went to Indianapolis, but I think it was important to express that interest if there was an opportunity for that to be here,” Packers spokesperson Aaron Popkey said. “There were other considerations, obviously, that were involved, but in that same realm Mark has discussed that in the past that if the Packers ever have any opportunity to host a Badgers game that would be something we would look at.”

Although the Badgers never have played football at Lambeau, their men’s hockey program hosted Ohio State for the Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic on Feb. 11, 2006, which was the second U.S. college hockey game played outdoors.Wisconsin won the game 4-2 in front of 40,890 fans. A little more than a month later, the Badgers won the national title at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.

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The scheduling of a college football game in the middle of a Packers season requires the league’s approval, but the process isn’t complicated. Neutral-site meetings are becoming more prevalent and some NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision programs like Pittsburgh and Temple (Philadelphia) share stadiums with NFL teams.

“I think the Packers have expressed an interest in having other types of events here and working with the stadium district to explore those types of events,” Popkey said. “We had hockey, we’ve had LZ Lambeau, a concert and generally speaking it’s something we do want to pursue when the appropriate opportunities are there. From a college football prospective, the Badgers would be a natural opportunity just being a team here in the state.

“There’s nothing scheduled at this point, but those types of games have taken place elsewhere, so logistically it’s something that can be accommodated here.”

LSU will open the 2013 season Aug. 31 at Cowboys Stadium against TCU. The Tigers have yet to play a neutral-site game in Houston but have expressed an interest in playing a neutral-site game there given the recruiting ties.

On Monday, the Times-Picayune ran a poll on its website, Nola.com, and 83.3 percent of readers favored LSU playing the Badgers in Green Bay.